Mining machine



G. P. MYERS. MINING MACHINE.

5 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)I

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 2. G. F. MYERS. MINING MACHINE.

No. 600,838. Patented Mar. 15, 1898.

w\m\-\\\\\\\\\\\ \\\\\\\\4 n n AWN "wanton (No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 3.

G. P. MYERS. MINING MACHII'VB.

10.600,838 Patented Mar. 15,18%.

5 Sheets-SheetA4A G. I'. MYERS.

MINING MACHINE.

Patented` Mar. 15, 1898.

I 1| .IA I .I

w I l l (No Model.)

(No Model.) 5 Shams-Sheet 5.

G. I. MYERS.

MINING MACHINE.

No. 600,888. Patented Mar. 15,1898.

l Ill l l ITI lilllllllllllllllll@ o @po o olo OPI@ o o OPI@ o IHVENTQR GEORGE FRANCIS MYERS, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE MYERS MINING MACHINE COMPANY,

or SAME PLACE.

.MINING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 600,838, dated March 15, 18981.

Application tiled November 18, 1896. Serial No. 612,562. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it' may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE FRANCIS MYERs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mining-Machines and I do hereby declare the following to be a a mine room or entry and indicates the mode` of operation of the cutters. Figs. 2, 3, and 4 represent cross-sectional views of the mine room or entry and illustrate modications of the manner of cutting the same. Fig. 5 represents a top plan view of a machine adapted for the practice of the invention and illustrates said machine in the act of making a cut. Fig. 6 represents a view of said machine and its appurtenances in side elevation and likewise illustrates said machine in operation Within the mine-entry. Figs. 7 to ll illustrate various details of construction.

Similar numerals of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views.

The main characteristic feature of my invention consists in the capacity of the machine to cut into the face of the drift a progressive series of slits of such a character that the path of movement or trajectory of the cutters is simultaneously along the top, bottom, and rear side of the segmental portion to be removed. Consequently as the cutter traverses the face of the drift the section which it detaches therefrom falls wholly within and is enveloped by the cutter itself, and the coal thus severed is adapted to be at once received into a conveyer mounted upon the same frame which supports the cutter, so as to be progressively removed as the cutting operation proceeds.

The principle of operation underlying the practice of the invention is graphically illustrated Ain Fig. 1 of the drawings, wherein the the numeral 8, whereupon the rotary cutter is caused to describe the arc 10 9 in the reverse direction. The center of oscillation being thereupon advanced to a point indicated by the numeral 12, the rotary cutter-arm is caused to describe the arc 14 13, and then by advancing the' center of oscillation to the point 15 the new face 23 is cut from said point as a center. The new face of the drift having thus been established, the further practice of the invention involves with each cut a repetition or reproduction of said drift-face, as is clearly indicated in Fig. 1; but in order to make the successive slits without having the cutter in its movement from the point 15 to the point 18 come in rubbing contact at its outer free end with the wall or rib in moving from the position indicated by the numeral 2l tothat indicated by the numeral 22 the cutter is swung backward a trifle from the vertical position, so as to` occupy the position indicated by the line 15 17 before being moved into the new position indicated by the line 1S 2O and requisite for the next succeeding cut 24.

In the machine illustrated in the drawings and which constitutes one embodiment of my invention, 2S indicates a base or platform, 3l a column, and 54 and 55 a nut and jack for establishing said column as the center of movement. Upon said column swings the lower collar 32 and the framework carrying the motor 34, which framework rests on the bearing 72, as indicated. An adjustable upper collar 45 is fastened to the lower collar by the adj usting-screws 52 and by the T-iron 53, which is also adjustable, the small collar 74 supporting said upper collar and its framework. Extending outwardly from said upper and lower collars and their frameworks are IOO the two frames 25,'which are made adjustable toward and from each other, as specifically shown in Fig. l0. On the outer edges of the frame 25, in suitable grooves or passages established by the guides 8l, travel the two sprocket-chains 33, said chains running over small sprocket-wheels 48, 49, and 50, each of which is provided with a drill and cutter, by means of which it cuts its way through the mineral, as shown in detail in Figs. 7 and 8. Instead of traveling over the sprocket-wheels 49 and 50 and making an entry of the shape indicated in Fig. 3 the chain lnaytravel over a pulley placed at 5l and make a squarecornered entry or room, as indicated in Fig. 2. Each chain is provided with edge teeth or cutters 28, the arrangement being such that the teeth of one chain will cut during the oscillation of the frame to the right, While the teeth of the other chain will cut during the oscillation of the frame toward the left. Each chain is provided with a tightener 46 and with a driving-sprocket 37, driven from the primary driving-pinion 35 through the intermediacy of the gear 36. The train of feeding mechanism consists of the drivingpinion 35, the intermediate gears 38, 39, and 40, the Worm 41, worm-wheel 42, reversinggear 43, pinion 44, and circular rack 30.

The loading mechanism consists in part of the conveyers 56 and 57, one for each of the cutters, both of said conveyers being mounted upon the frame which supports the cutters, so as to occupy a fixed relationship thereto during the operation of the machine. These conveyers 56 and 57 may be operated from the wheel 86 by means of the chain 59, a shaft 58 communicating motion from the one conveyer to the other, and said conveyers may be secured to the machine in any suitable manner-as, for instance, by the brackets 62. Secondary conveyers 63, 64, and 65 are placed on rollers which are adapted to travel independently upon light tracks 66, fastened to 28, so that any one or all of the said secondary conveyers may be moved forward or backward, as desired. They may be driven bythe motors 68 or otherwise, and all of the conveyers may be provided with Scrapers or buckets after the ordinary manner.

In Fig. 7 I have shown in detail the lower turn of the frame 25 at the pulley 48. In order to cut away the material for the said pulleys during their advance through the mineral, a boring apparatus, as shown, may be used, consisting, essentially, of a wheel 76, provided with suitable teeth-as,for instance, the cutters 77 and the drills 78 on the main shaft 79, as shown in Fig. 8, which latter figure is a back view of that portion of the frame proximate to the pulley 49. Fig. 9 is an enlarged View of the brace 53, which is intended to give stiffness to the machine, one of said braces being on either side thereof.

That part of the frame that moves into the coal and serves as a backing for the chain 27 to run over is shown enlarged'in Figs. 10 and 11. The guards or guides 8l keep the chain in lateral alinement. In order to allow for the vertical adjustment of the machine on account of the difference in height of the veins of the minerals, the said frame may be divided into a plurality of parts, the upper one ending at 82 and the lower one at 83, the empty spaces 84 and 85 being filled in, if desired. Instead of the said frame being bent at an angle at its upper point, as shown in Fig. l0, it may be made curved or straight to cut, as in Figs. 2 or 4, respectively.

The operation of the machine is essentially as follows: In beginning an entry or small room the machine is placed in the middle thereof and several smaller sweeps are made to the right and left until the machine has reached a position-as indicated, for instance, by the line 18 20, Fig. l-when full sweeps or arcs may be regularly cut from rib to rib. In Fig. 5 the chain s shown as having advanced to a half-way position in the circular cut, and the mineral having been cut around on the top, back, and bottom will either fall of its own weight or may be easily pried down into the conveyer 57, which loads it into 65 or G4, and from there it is carried to the wagon 67. As the chain progresses along said arc the conveyer 57 ,with the rest of the machine, turns upon the column 3l and the conveyer 65 may be moved forward on the track 66 in order the more easily to catch the mineral as it drops off of 57. When the left-hand chain has reached the full end of its sweep, the jack 55 is loosened and the Whole machine is jacked over or pushed forward a certain distance, including the conveyers 63, 64, and 65. The jack 55 is now fastened against the roof, the machine is reversed, and the right-hand chain cuts another circular cut in the opposite direction, the conveyer 5G now doing the automatic loading.

It will of course be understood that I do not limit myself to the particular construction of apparatus shown, but contemplate also the employment of such equivalents for the several elements of the invention as fairly fall within the scope of my claims.

So far as I am aware it is broadly new in mining-machines to provide cutters therefor so arranged that. their path of movement is simultaneously along the top, bottom, and rear side of the section to be removed; and I desire, therefore, that my claims should have an interpretation commensurate with this generic feature of novelty.

I-Iaving thus described my invention, what I claim is l. A mining-machine having cutters projecting forwardly from the machine-frame and inclosin g a space bounded in front and at the top and bottom by the said cutters, in combination with gearing for driving the cutters simultaneously; substantially as described.

2. A mining-machine having cutters projecting forwardly from the machine-frame and inclosing a space bounded in front and at IOO IIO

the top and bottom by said cutters, incombination With gearing for driving the cutters simultaneously, and gearing for movin g the cutters transversely across the face of the drift; substantially as described.

3. A mining-machine having cutters proy jecting forwardly from the machine-frame and inclosing a space bounded in front and at the top and bottom by said cutters, in combination With gearing for driving the cutters simultaneously, and gearing for moving the cutters Jtransversely across the face of the drift, said cutters being mounted as a Whole upon a pivotal support; substantially as described.

4. A mining-machine having cutters projecting forwardly from the machine frame and inclosin g aspace bounded in front and at the top and bottom by said cutters, in combination with gearing for driving the cutters simu1taneous1y,and gearing for moving the cutters transversely across the face of the drift, said cutters being mounted as a Whole upon a pivotal support, and having an unobstructed sweep through an arc of more than one hun-- dred and eighty degrees; substantially as described.

5. A mining-machine having cutters projecting` forwardly from the machine frame and inclosing a space bounded in front andat the top and bottom by said cutters, in combination with gearing for driving the cutters simultaneously,and gearing for moving the cutdescribed.

7. In a mining-machine, tWo upright cutterchains located side by side, and having edgeteeth adapted to cut to the right and left respectively, in combination With a supporting v frame for said chains, and a motor for moving saidl frame alternately in opposite directions from rib to rib transversely across the room; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof Iaffix my signature in presence of tWo Witnesses.

GEORGE FRANCIS MYERS.

Witnesses:

HUGH M. STERLING, JOHN C. PENNIE. 

